Many sports such as soccer and hockey involve the presence of goal equipment, usually in the form of netting mounted on a support frame, the support frame including vertical goalposts which form side bars and a horizontal post mounted to the vertical goalposts to form a cross bar. Goal assemblies are large and bulk so are often fixed in place on a sports field. However, collapsible goal assemblies which allow the goals to be folded down to a reduced size are known. Such assemblies provide for ease of removal from the field and transport between locations. This is particularly desirable in the case of playing sports casually or recreationally, including children's sports, which are often played in areas not already equipped with fixed goal equipment.
US 2012/0100940 A1 describes a foldable and adjustable sport goal; US 2004/0116215 A1 describes a children's collapsible sports goal for soccer or hockey. The upright portion of the goal is pivotally connected to the base and parallel legs of the upright portion are releasably secured to a cross member of the upright portion; US 2012/0184399 A1 describes a collapsible structure which can be used as a sporting goal for soccer. The assembly includes joints which are collapsible by disconnection, a flexible connector which passes between parts of the joint allowing the assembly to collapse; WO2011/053163 A1 describes a mini collapsible goal for soccer and football training in which the cross bar and side bar are connected by hinge elements allowing the structure to collapse. The hinge elements described include an internal coiled spring resiliently connecting the vertical bar and horizontal bar to each other; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,979,274 B1 describes a portable goal assembly that folds in two dimensions. The cross bar and side bars are connected by releasably lockable hinges which consist of a threaded connection between the cross bar and side bar.
Existing foldable goal-post assemblies such as those discussed above are complex constructions which can be difficult to assemble and disassemble, especially for a single child or group of children without the assistance of an adult. Furthermore, many of the folding mechanisms proposed for foldable goal-post assemblies lack the strength and durability required to be able to withstand repeated impact of a soccer ball, hockey puck etc. against the goal structure.